Cutting Out Information Overload & Focusing On Things that Improve Your Life

A couple of months ago, I signed into my Rogers account to see why my phone bill was double that of what it usually is.

The answer was simple: I had gone over my monthly data allotment twice over.

I had a lot of data, and never even once came close to going over, so I knew there was an issue. I phoned Rogers and they sent me a log of all the data I had used each day for that billing period.

I know that I spend a lot of time on my phone, but even so, I was shocked by just how much.  I saw that even separate from the incident that resulted in my high bill (something uploading overnight), I use the data on my phone a disgusting amount.

I use data for a variety of different reasons: Google Maps, social media, email, and of course as a time killer. I have spent more time than I would like to admit browsing the  “What’s Hot” section on Buzzfeed.

What I didn’t realize until I got that report, was that I am usually using the data on my phone to obtain information that is of no use to me, and that does not align with my values.

At best, my cell phone data ads little benefit to my life. At worst, it’s a tool used for procrastination and the nursing of an unhealthy dose of “FOMO” (fear of missing out).

I found myself checking my Facebook when I was at dinner with a friend, reaching for my phone on date nights when I should have been focusing on J, and (in the interest of full disclosure) even checking my email at red lights.

As I sit down to write for Add Vodka, I find my thumb dragging the slider across the screen of my iPhone, a mindless reaction to a pause in my thoughts or a moment of difficulty articulating something.

I came to the realization that I was paying an extra $40 per month for something to distract me and fill my mind with clutter.

After coming to this realization, I pushed the glaring evidence out of my mind, and save for the occasional gut feeling that I needed to get rid of the damn data, I forgot about it.

I spent the next few weeks falling back into old bad behaviours, my phone always at my fingers, social media always at my beck and call.

A couple of weeks ago I sat there with my phone in my hand, scrolling through Twitter, annoyed at the lack of quality tweets of some of the people I follow. I switched to Facebook and became quickly annoyed with that, too. Then I realized: I wasn’t annoyed by the people I follow on either social media site. I was annoyed because Facebook and Twitter and 98% of the information gleaned from the apps on my phone and the data that I use is filling my brain with crap that I don’t need to know and never really wanted to know.

This useless information was nudging out the space for the stuff that I do want to know and learn, leaving little room for the information that I should be focusing on: information which will help propel me forward and on which I can take action. Information that will contribute to my living a positive, healthy life.

In short, having data on my phone was making my life worse, even marginally.

I try to run all of my decisions through this simple test:

“Will this decision improve my life, have a neutral effect, or make my life worse?”

And for me, inarguably, the empty information obtained through my phone and the distraction and procrastination it provided pushed the data plan into the “worse” category.

Data is not inherently evil, but I wasn’t using it in a positive way.

It’s hard to change a habit, so instead of trying to restrain myself from checking Twitter every half an hour, I decided to cancel my data plan on my phone.

I realize that it is fairly rare that a female member of the Generation Y population – especially a blogger – exist without a data plan on her phone, but I still have WiFi at home.

This is taking effect September 1, which is the beginning of the next billing cycle. It will be easy at first; I’ll be on my honeymoon until early-mid October, where I will have no use for data.

Where I think I’ll likely struggle is planning ahead. I rely on Google Maps to get me where I need to go, and I rely on my phone for price comparisons, coupons, and other things when I am out and about. In the end, that is a small hurdle to improve my life and a good habit to get into, regardless.

Information overload is a problem in our society and it leaves little room for making important decisions and important information. Instead of trying to beat the system and show some serious restraint, I’m cutting the source of much of it from my life.

(Shout out to Cait for her recent post about pushing past clutter and James Clear for his not so recent post about information overload for giving me that extra push to cut out the intellectual clutter)